Bronson Warns Consumers To Avoid Tax Rebate Scam
For Information, Contact:
Terence McElroy
(850) 488-3022
February 5, 2008
TALLAHASSEE – Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson is warning consumers about scam artists who are seeking personal information and in some instances money while claiming to help consumers in obtaining a tax rebate from the federal government.
“If you receive a phone call or e-mail with a promise of assistance in getting a check, hang up on the caller or delete the e-mail,” Bronson said. “Congress hasn’t even approved a tax rebate plan yet.”
The scam began sweeping the country in recent days, and some Florida residents have acknowledged in phone calls to the department’s Consumer Services Division this week that they have been contacted by the scam artists.
In one variation of the rip-off, a company calling itself the Federal Commission Refund Department is promising consumers help in obtaining a tax rebate check for a $29 fee that it offers to withdraw from the consumer’s bank account. In a second variation, scammers portraying themselves as IRS agents are calling and asking for Social Security numbers and other personal information to verify the person’s eligibility for a refund. That information can make consumers extremely vulnerable to identity theft.
“What these scam artists are trying to do is to obtain personal information, including bank account and Social Security numbers, so they can clean out your checking or savings account and open a line of credit in your name,” Bronson said. “Don’t fall for it.”
Congress is considering a tax rebate plan in an effort to stimulate the economy. The IRS, which is the agency that would issue checks if legislation is passed for approving a rebate, does not ask for personal information on the phone or in an e-mail.
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